New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-03
PERNICIOUS AGILITY.

Democratic journals prlh1 iohB Hso vi
officials who were guilty OF PERM
cious activity in participating in the
Pennsylvania Democratic Convention
Similar lists are printed by Democratic jour-
mails of the officials who attended the meeting
Of the New-York State Committee, and there
helped to serve President Cleveland by beat
ing Governor Hill Activity on that side is
not pernicious, 1t seems. Only when an
officer is guilty of helping the other party, OF
the ottcr faction in the Democratic party
does the .esident rise up in holy wrath and
cut off the head of the offender for disobeying
the order which, once upon time, professional
rcforrners hailed as sort of new gospel
1t NAV be noticed that Republicans are not
at all astonished. They never INDUCED any
expectation that the President would keep his
word in this matter, or would enforce against
his own friends the order which was merely
intended as an excuse for dismissing compe-
tent and experienced Republican ohicials. The
humbug pretencc of reform at Washington
has not deceived anybody, though it has
afforded a preteXt for not little hypocrisy
by those who were under bonds to shout
Halleujah IL no matter what the President
did.
Looking at this business from the position
of sincere refOrmer, it must be concluded
that Mr.. Cleveland was either entirely insin-
cere when he issued the order against partici-
patton of officials in politics, or that he has
deliberately determined to pitch reform into
the wastc-baskct and to rely upon the mex
prcssible gullibility of those who believe i'll it
and still support him. One may easily believe
that he was sincere at first lie had been
made TO believe that methods of reform would
help him nightly But experience has taught
him that actual reform would make him odious
to his party, while the sort of reformers who
believe in him were ready enough and in faith
stalwart enough TO believe in anything.
TO nut the matter without reserve, Mr.
Curtis and his associates are pers, nally re-
Sponsble for President Clevelands abandon
mcnt of their ''Icform,7 Just as they Me
responsible for his election. Their own con-
duct has shown that prostitution of the pub
lie service to personal and party ends gets just
rs effective support from them as could be
secured by any other course They began by
making excuses when he Suffered German to
appoint Higgins and Thompson to appoint
Ilcdden, and they have been whitewashing
him ever since TO the utmost Of their ability,
while the wholesale dismissal Of experienced
officials because they were Republicans has
gone on, and the systematic selection OF I'M
SC upulous party workers because they would
and could help the Democratic party and the
President
Reform has been strangled by the men
who have claimed to be its peculiar friends.
1t has become offensive to honest men OF both
parties because of the hypocrisy displayed both
in defeating it and in excusng the President
for its defeat Mr.. Cleveland has been led
TO feel that he cannot debauch the public ser
vice or degrade the Office he holds enough to
lose him the purcry and praises, the apollo
gies and excuses, Of the persons who consldcu-
ously vouched for him as a reformcr. They
would rather help Higgins and the other spolls-
men to another term Of Office than admit that
they were dcuded by their own inflated vanity.